Gun



H. F. RIESCHICK.

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GUN.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I, I918- 0 2 9 7. 1 T Q. h 6 H mm J m 5 d S I v m 2 g z .w a 2 P 7 1 1 5 5 5 4 3 1 INVENTOR 97m Z izaJ'chz/k BY fiazmw WITNESSES ATTORN EY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUN.

Application filed February 1, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN F. R n- SGHIGK a citizen of the United States, residing at liansas City, in the county of J ackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guns, of which the following 1s a specification.

This invention relates to submarine guns and has for its object the production of a simple and efficient gun which may be safely fired under the water or in a submerged position.

Another object of this invention is the production of a simple and efficlent means for ejecting water from the gun by means of direct discharge of an air current 1nto the muzzle of a gun.

With these and other objects in View this invention consists of certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter fully descrlbed and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional View of one form of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of a modified form of the gun.

Fig. 3 is a modified form of the present invention.

By referring to the drawings, it will be seen that 1 designates the barrel of the gun which is provided with a suitable breech block 2 of suitable construction. The breech block 2 may be provided with a suitable firing pin 3 for the purpose of firing the cartridge 4 at any desired time. The breech block 2 is of course held in a closed position by means of a lock 4 as shown clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

In the form shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the barrel 1 is provided with a plurality of inlet ports or intake ports 5 formed near the inner end of the barrel. Suitable pneumatic tubes 6 are secured to each port 5 for the purpose of furnishing compressed air to the ports and assisting the driving of the water from the bore 7 of the barrel 1. These ports 5 are inclined at their inner ends toward the outer ends of the barrel and extend in converged relation to each other, for the purpose of discharging the air in Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1920.

Serial No. 214,871.

the direction of the opening formed in the barrel 1.

A second series of pneumatic tubes 8 are secured to or cooperate with the barrel. 1 and each tube 8 is provided with an inturned end 9 which inturned end 9 extends into the barrel near the outer end thereof. The inwardly extending ends 9 communicate with the bore 7 of the barrel 1 and are adapted to discharge a series of jets of air into the outer end of the barrel as will be obvious by considering Fig. 1 of the drawings. When it is desired to discharge the cartridge 4 shown in Fig. 1, the air is turned on through the pneumatic tubes 6 and 8 for the purpose of discharging a series of currents of air into the bore 7 of the barrel 1 and in this manner ejecting water from the barrel 1. The cartridge 4' may be then discharged with safety and the ball discharged from the cartridge 4 will not be retarded in the movement through the barrel 1.

In Fig. 2 there is shown a modified form of the invention, wherein the barrel 10 is provided with a' plurality of longitudinally extending channels 11 which channels are provided at their inner ends with inwardly inclined ports 12. These ports 12 are preferably arranged intermediate the ends of the bore 13 of the barrel 10. The channels 11 extend through the outer end of the barrel 10 and the inwardly curved ends 13 of the pneumatic tubes 14: are seated into the outer ends of the channels 11 as shown in Fig. 2. These tubes 14 may be connected to any suitable source of air supply such as air reservoirs or the like, or a pump of suitable construction.

It of course should be understood that, the barrels 1 and, 10 designate in both of the forms of the invention, disclosed in the drawings, may be of any suitable construction, without departing from the spirit of the invention and suitable detail mechanical changes may be made therein, so long as these changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that a very simple and efficient means has been provided which may be adapted to a gun barrel of an ordinary gun for the purpose of ejecting water from the barrel or bore thereof, without materially changing the structure of the gun.

In Fig. 3 there is shown a still further modified form of the invention known as a pneumatic expulsion tube adapted to'fit around a submarine gun.

The present invention may be applied to guns carried by submarine boats or by underwater forts and is especially adapted to prevent the entrance of water into the muzzle or barrel of the gun while a cartridge or shell is being fired therefrom. In the structure shown in Fig. 3 it will be seen that the gun is supported upon any suitable or desired supporting means 15, such as a boat or fort and the gun 16 projects outwardly therefrom preferably at an angle although of course it should be understood that the gun may be supported in any suitable or desired manner upon the support 15 and extend in any suitable or desired direction accordingly to the circumstances under which the gun may be used. The gun 16 is provided with the usual breech loading mechanism 17 at the rear end thereof and a plurality of pneumatic tubes 18 are secured to the inner end of the gun l6 and communicate with the inclined ports 19 formed in the barrel 16 of the gun. These ports 19 communicate with the bore 20 formed in the gun 16 near the inner end of the bore for the purpose of ejecting a plurality of jets of air through the bore 20 of the gun as the shell is fired therefrom.

A protecting tube 22 is placed around the gun 16 as shown in Fig. 3 and this tube 22 is provided with an annular laterally extending flange upon the inner end thereof for the purpose of facilitating the securing of the tube 22 to the supporting member or means 15. The tube is preferably spaced from the gun 16 as shown in Fig. 3 for the purpose of producing an air passage way around the gun, thereby permitting the passage of air longitudinally through the tube 22 and discharging a volume of air out through the outer end of the tube 22 for the purpose of preventing water from entering the tube 22 and the outer end of the barrel of the gun 16. A. plurality of pneumatic tubes 24: are secured to the lower end of the tube 22 for communicating with the lower portion of the tube and discharging a series of jets of air or a volume of air throughout the tube 22. It of course should be understood that any suitable or desired means may be attached to the tubes 18 and 21 for the purpose of ejecting air throughout the tube 22 and the bore 20 of the gun 16.

A lid 25 is hingedly secured to the outer end of the tube 22 by means of a hinge 27 as shown in Fig. 3 and this lid 26 is provided with a yieldable cushion 28 formed upon the inner face thereof, this yieldable cushion 28 being adapted to rest upon the enlarged flange 29 formed around the periphery of the outer end of the tube 22. In this way the gate 26 will constitute an efiicient seal for the outer end of the tube 22 and prevent the entrance of water therein while the gun is not in operation. The gate 26 carries a projecting operating arm 30 upon the inner end thereof and this arm 30 is provided with a laterally extending slotted finger 31, this slotted finger 31 engaging a link 32, the link 32 being secured to an operating lever 33. This operating lever 33 is pivotally secured to-a supporting or hanger bracket 3e and engages a quadrant 35 suspended below the supporting means 15. The link 32 extends through the supporting means 15 and engages the slotted finger 31 for the purpose of permitting the lid 26 to be swung to an open position such as shown in dotted lines when the operating lever 33 is swung to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a very simple and efficient means has been produced for the purpose of expelling water from the tube 22 and the bore of the gun 16 as a shell is being fired therefrom, in this way preventing the pressure of the water from effecting the exploding of the cartridge for the purpose of firing and also preventing the action of the water from retarding the passage of the shell as the same passes through the gun. F urthermore the gate 26 will normally close the outer end of the protecting tube 22 and in this way eliminate the necessity of maintaining a high pressure of air within the protecting tube 22.

What is claimed is:

1. A gun of the class described comprising a barrel, a tube fitting around said barrel and being spaced from the outer walls thereof, a gate hingedly secured to the outer end of said tube, said gate provided with a yieldable cushion upon the inner face thereof being adapted to fit snugly upon the outer end of said tube and constituting a seal therefor when said gate is in a closed position, an operating arm carried by said gate, means engaging said operating arm for opening and closing the same, means for conveying compressed air to said tube and for facilitating the forcing of a circular jet of air longitudinally of the tube for preventing the entrance of water in the outer end of said tube while the gun is being fired.

2. A gun of the class described comprising a barrel, a tube fitting around said barrel and being spaced therefrom, said tube provided with a discharge outer end, said discharge outer end provided with an annular flange upon the inner edge thereof and OEDNANULL constituting a seat, a gate adapted to rest upon said seat and provided with a yieldable cushion upon the inner face thereof, an operating arm projecting from said gate, a link engaging said operating arm, an operating lever supported adjacent said gun and engaging said link and adapted to swing the same for opening and closing said gate, and means for conveying air into said gun 10 and into said tube and discharging a circular In testimony whereof I affix my signature 15 in presence of two witnesses.

HERMAN F. RIESCHICK. Witnesses:

J. W. BLANTON,

SAM RUBIN. 

